Mascarpone Stuffed French Toast with Strawberries

❤️ Why you will love this stuffed French toast recipe

• Unique - It puts a unique twist on the diner classic with fluffy whipped mascarpone frosting.
• Not Too Sweet - I'm not a huge fan of overly sweet breakfast recipes, so I LOVE this recipe. The frosting in the stuffing is slightly sweet and so it perfectly pairs with the fresh, tart strawberries.
• Special - This isn't just your standard french toast and while there are a few extra steps, this easy recipe still makes the BEST special breakfast for the ones you love.

🍞 Ingredient notes

• Bread - Italian bread, French bread, or Texas toast are all types of bread that are perfect for French toast. For a sweeter version, use brioche or challah bread instead.
• Filling - The frosting for the filling literally takes just 5 minutes to make and creates a fluffy, creamy center in the French toast. WARNING: It's extremely delicious, so try not to eat it all before making the French toast!
• Egg Mixture - The custard mixture is made with eggs and whole milk. For a heavier custard, use Half and half or heavy cream.

📋 Substitutions and variations

• Cheese - Mascarpone is a creamy Italian cheese that is similar to cream cheese. It has a less tangy and more buttery flavor and texture. You can substitute it with cream cheese or ricotta cheese if you can't find mascarpone or if you want a different flavor. Substitute the mascarpone frosting all together with Nutella for an even MORE indulgent version.
• Fruit - Substitute the strawberries with different fruit, like raspberries, blueberries, cherries, peaches, or your favorite fruit jam.
• Gluten-Free - Make sure to pick a sturdy, thick-sliced gluten-free bread to make this recipe gluten-free.

📋 How to serve stuffed french toast with mascarpone

Even though this French toast is perfect without any toppings. Here are a few. you can serve with it, to make it EXTRA special.

• Powdered Sugar
• Cinnamon Sugar
• Berry Syrup or other Flavored Syrup
• Butter and Maple Syrup
• Nutella or Chocolate Syrup
• Fresh Berries
• More Mascarpone Frosting
• Whipped Cream

🔪 Step by step instructions

First, make the whipped mascarpone by mixing the mascarpone with the almond extract and salt. Slowly mix in the powdered sugar and then pour in the heavy cream. Whip the mixture for 2 minutes until you have stiff peaks.

Spread 2-3 Tablespoons of the frosting on one side of 6 of the bread slices. Add sliced strawberries on top of the frosting and then sandwich the remaining slices on top to make 6 total sandwiches.

Whisk the eggs, milk, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a shallow dish or bowl. Dip the sandwiches in the egg mixture so the bread soaks it up on all sides.

Place the dipped sandwiches on a preheated and lightly greased electric griddle. Let the French toast cook for 2-3 minutes until golden brown.

Flip the French toast over and let them cook for 1-2 minutes, until golden brown on the other side.

Serve the French toast warm with your favorite toppings like, extra mascarpone frosting, sliced strawberries, powdered sugar, or also maple syrup.

⭐ Expert tips

• Bring your mascarpone cheese to room temperature before making the frosting so it easily mixes with the other ingredients.
• Be careful not to overfill the sandwiches and leave some room around the edges. Depending on the size of the pieces of bread, about 2-3 Tablespoons should be perfect. If they are overfilled, the filling will ooze out the sides during cooking.
• Don't soak the bread in the egg mixture too long. You want it to soak into the bread, but not get too soggy. Let any excess egg mixture drip off the bread before cooking it or the egg coating will be too heavy.

💭 Frequently asked questions

🍽️ What to serve with Mascarpone Strawberry Stuffed French Toast

If you are serving this recipe for a holiday or special occasion, here are some other recipes you can serve with it to make the perfect brunch menu!

• Hashbrown Crust Quiche with white cheddar cheese, pancetta, and sliced scallions is a great savory dish to pair with it.
• Overnight Italian Strata with Italian sausage and Fontina cheese is a hearty breakfast dish to serve with stuffed French toast.
• Italian Baked Eggs or Eggs in Purgatory is an easy, one-skillet breakfast dish that would pair perfectly with this recipe.
• Melon Caprese Salad, Citrus Salad, or Grilled Peaches are lighter side dishes that would be great served alongside stuffed French toast.

⏲️ Make ahead instructions

• The French toast can be stuffed with mascarpone frosting and strawberries a couple hours ahead of time. Store it on a sheet pan, wrapped in the plastic wrap in the refrigerator. Follow the remaining instructions for dipping and cooking it as directed. I don't recommend doing this too early or the inside will get soggy.
• You can also make the stuffed French toast, cool it completely, and store it in the refrigerator up to 24 hours ahead of time. Store it on a lined sheet pan, wrapped in plastic wrap. Then, at serving time, remove the plastic wrap and reheat it in the oven.

🥡 Storage and reheating suggestions

• Fridge - Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
• Freezer - Freeze stuffed French toast on a lined sheet pan and then transfer to a freezer bag for up to 2 months. French toast can be reheated from frozen, but will take a bit longer to cook. Also, the texture of the filling after freezing and thawing will not be as creamy.
• Reheat - Leftovers can be reheated in the microwave or oven until heated through.

🍳 More breakfast recipes

If you loved this Mascarpone Stuffed French Toast with Strawberries, then check out these other breakfast recipes that I know you will love too!

• Fresh Strawberries Biscuits
• Lemon Dutch Baby with Blueberries
• Overnight Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting
• Flaky Homemade Buttermilk Biscuits